1115.org

Every day, in every way we accumulate more evidence of how Bush and McCain are identical twins. Today’s revelation relates to the Webb-Hagel expansion of the G.I. Bill.

Here’s how the NYT explained President Bush’s opposition to the Bill in a blunt editorial at the end of May:

… the commander in chief now resists giving the troops a chance at better futures out of uniform. He does this on the ground that the bill is too generous and may discourage re-enlistment, further weakening the military he has done so much to break.

And if Bush opposed this bill, could John McCain be far behind?

However, McCain said he opposed Webb’s measure because it would give the same benefit to everyone regardless of how many times he or she has enlisted. He said he feared that would depress reenlistments by those wanting to attend college after only a few years in uniform. Rather, McCain said the bill he favored would have increased scholarships based on length of service.

The bill was passed in the House after adding a provision allowing troops to transfer their benefits to family members, and suddenly Bush was agreeing to sign the bill he had threatened to veto. But here’s the really funny part:

Now, however, Bush and Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) — the two most vocal opponents of Webb’s bill — are trying to take credit for it. They are claiming that they always supported the generous benefits — their main concern was just ensuring the benefits’ transferability:
McCain: That has always been my primary concern with respect to the Webb bill. … With the addition of the transferability provisions sought by Senators Graham, Burr, myself and others to give service members the right to transfer earned G.I. Bill benefits to spouses and children, we will have achieved in offering vastly improved educational benefit.

Bush: Throughout the past five months, President Bush and members of his Administration have worked hard to ensure that an expansion of GI benefits includes transferability. … The President is pleased that Congress answered his call.

Once upon a time, only Bush had the gall to execute such a bald-faced reinvention of reality. But now there’s McCain matching him stride for stride.

It took them a while to get there, but now they are joined firmly at the hip. Till electoral disaster do them part?

(I wonder whether McCain has thought beyond the November elections? After he gets totally creamed, is he going to flip right back to all his old positions on everything, or is he going to stick with the new positions he has embraced in his ongoing orgy of political prostitution?)